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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Boy we're having fun now, trying to figure out how to feed Mocha hay without Tucker having access to it. Poor John spent most of the morning putting up a corral panel over the end of their shelter, so we could pen Mocha in there to eat her hay. Then we got the brilliant idea of leaving Tucker in their pen, & putting her in with Thelma to eat hay for a couple of hours, so that's what we're trying tonight.

Tucker isn't very amused at this new process that has him separated from momma Mocha for awhile. When he gets back with her, he starts nursing like he's starved. I'm sure it's just to sooth his frazzled little baby nerves. He butts her & jumps on her like it's her fault. Poor little Mocha just takes it, like a good little mother does I guess.

The vet doesn't want him having access to any hay or feed that isn't soaked to a mush for awhile to see if his problem with choking can be outgrown. I sure hope so, otherwise, I guess he would have to eat mush all his life, poor little man.

We hauled Jenny into the vet today for x-rays of her rear foot. Of course she was a well behaved lady.............NOT.......!!! Jenny can be very sweet & cooperative, or not, depending on her mood. Today her mood was, "I bet I can drag these people wherever I want to". Like I told the vet, "she can". He was afraid to take her in the exam room, since she could have destroyed the whole place if she wanted to. But a "happy" shot took care of most of her attitude, although he still decided to x-ray her outside.

The area that is draining is down from the coronet about 1/2 inch & the vet said where new hoof is growing in is good growth & solid. But we need to keep the draining area open, which takes the pressure off the inside of her foot. She has an area around the bottom of her coffin bone, that looks like where the problem is. He couldn't tell how much permanent damage is done to her coffin bone. He said to soak the foot in epsom salts about 2 times a week, & keep the open area on the hoof covered with something to keep bacteria from getting into the internal part of her foot. He said we could x-ray her again in about 3 months to see if it is continuing to improve.

You can see the indentation around her hoof where the drainage is coming out. Above it, is good solid hoof growing in. Hopefully it will continue to grow in & the drainage will move down the hoof & eventually get trimmed off.

We also had him check her mouth, she's been slobbering & he found some sharp points. So she also got some dental work done.

We're taking Drifter & Rusty in tomorrow to the equine dentist, but since she was already there, we figured it would save her another trailer ride.

As it is, when we got ready to load her to go home, she decided that wasn't what she wanted to do. She loaded just fine this morning, but not then. We tried all our little tricks that work with the standard donkeys, but not with Jenny, Big Girl.......!!! NOPE, not going to happen.........!!!! She doesn't pitch a fit or anything, she just stands there like an immoveable object, looking in the trailer. If you put a foot up in the trailer, she'll stand there with it on the floor, but the other 3 feet don't move. I think she'd stand that way for days. It's almost like she knows that's about the last of your ideas. So I dragged out the butt rope, like we're going to be able to drag her reluctant butt into the trailer, SURE WE ARE........!!! I put the butt rope on her, tightened it against her legs & she graciously hopped in the trailer............!!!!! Grrrrr.........!!!! It's almost like she knows when the game is over. Wonder how long before she figures out she's still got us buffaloed even with the butt rope?

GRANDVIEW, MISSOURI 1957

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About Me

My husband John, and I have a small private sanctuary for donkeys that needed a better home & for one reason or another would not be adoptable under normal circumstances. Some of our donkeys have physical or emotional problems. Some are old, many have ongoing medical problems that need daily attention. Every day with the donkeys is a learning process for me, & I would like to share these wonderful creatures with anyone that is interested.